1. Technical Field
This invention relates to interconnection arrangements and, more particularly, to an arrangement for interconnecting leads and connectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The art related to the connection of a cable, which includes a plurality of wires, or leads, to a connector, which includes a plurality of contacts, typically includes at least three phases, or stages. The first stage usually involves sorting or separating the different leads. In some applications each lead of a cable may have a distinctive color pattern or some other distinguishing marking. In that manner it becomes easier to sort the plurality of wires, for example, by arranging the wires by color pattern into some sorted order such that the leads may be readily interconnected to predetermined ones of the contacts in a connector. The second stage usually involves checking the order of the sorted leads. U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,663, which issued on Mar. 15, 1988 to J. S. Kovalchick et al. and which is entitled "Method and Apparatus for Color Identification", discloses an arrangement for determining the color of each of a plurality of wires, or leads. Advantageously, the arrangement of the '663 patent can be used to check the order of the sorted leads of a cable. The third stage usually involves the actual connection, for example, by bonding or crimping or spiking of leads and contacts.
The first stage, even with today's automated technology, tends to remain a labor intensive, manual process. Accordingly, the second (checking) stage continues to be used, in some measure, due to the inaccuracies that are typically introduced in the manual first stage. Commonly noted first stage inaccuracies are the type introduced due to operator boredom and eyestrain as well as difficulties in distinguishing small differences in hue.